Bermondsey Comic Shop Crawl Planner: Zines Under the Arches

Bermondsey rewards the comics reader who is curious about what happens before a story ever reaches a big shop shelf. This old riverside district south of Tower Bridge was once lined with tanneries, food warehouses and wharves, and many of those brick buildings and railway arches now hold studios, galleries, workshops and weekend stalls. A comic shop crawl planner here is really a small-press crawl: hand-printed zines, independent comics sold by the people who drew them, illustration prints and the odd collector's box at the antiques market.

Small-press comics are stories produced in short runs by individual artists or tiny collectives, often printed on risograph machines that give bright, slightly grainy colours. They might be a folded pamphlet, a stapled booklet or a lovingly bound hardback in an edition of a few dozen. In Bermondsey you are more likely to meet these titles at a fair, a gallery shop or a maker's stall than on a dedicated comics wall. Paying the person who made the work directly is a large part of the appeal.

This crawl suits people who already read independent comics online and want to hold the printed versions, art students and illustrators looking for inspiration, and design lovers who enjoy paper, print and typography as much as story. It is also a good choice for a couple or a pair of friends who like galleries and food markets, since the comics hunting fits naturally between other stops. Fans who mainly follow big superhero publishers will find little here and should head to the specialist stores of central London.

The Victorian railway viaduct running out of London Bridge station slices through Bermondsey, and the arches beneath it host breweries, bakeries, workshops and small event spaces. Their curved brick ceilings and echoing interiors give any pop-up fair a special atmosphere. Small-press comics and print fairs pop up in spaces like these from time to time, often announced through artists' social media accounts or independent event listings. Following a few local illustrators online is the most reliable way to hear about the next one.

Maltby Street and the Ropewalk, a narrow lane tucked against the viaduct, come alive at weekends with food traders, small bars and a scattering of makers. It is a looser, more local alternative to the crowds at nearby Borough Market. Comics are not the focus, but the lane is a natural place to refuel between arches and studios, and the people running stalls here often know about neighbouring craft events. Arrive with an appetite and treat the lane as your crawl's base camp.

Bermondsey Street itself, running south from the station area, is lined with Georgian and Victorian buildings, independent galleries, design shops and restaurants. The Fashion and Textile Museum and several contemporary art spaces give the street a creative identity. Gallery shops along here sometimes stock artists' monographs, illustrated prints and limited art editions that sit comfortably alongside comics. Walk the street slowly and look through doorways, since some of the best spaces sit on upper floors or down short passageways.

Bermondsey Square hosts a long-running antiques market on Friday mornings, and it starts very early. Traders sell silverware, glassware, old prints, toys and boxes of ephemera, and comics occasionally surface among them, especially vintage annuals and collectable magazines. Serious dealers arrive almost at dawn, so a collector on the hunt should do the same. Even if you find no comics, the market has an old-London feel that makes the early alarm feel worthwhile.

Near the river, Shad Thames is a narrow cobbled street between towering former warehouses, crossed overhead by old iron walkways once used to move goods between buildings. It looks almost like a set from a gritty graphic novel. Walk through toward the riverside path for views of Tower Bridge and the City skyline, then find a bench to look through the zines and prints you have collected. Butler's Wharf and the riverside paths are calm places to sit in the late afternoon.

Meeting the people who make comics is the heart of a Bermondsey crawl, so do not be shy. Ask an artist what printing process they used, which piece they are proudest of, or what they are working on next. Many will happily sign a copy or add a small doodle if you ask kindly. Carry a little cash for smaller stalls, though plenty of makers accept cards. Treat original artwork carefully and ask before photographing anyone's table, since some artists prefer to keep new work offline.

Small-press work is often delicate, with thin covers, hand-stitched spines and prints that bend easily. Bring a stiff folder or a flat cardboard sleeve inside a tote bag so nothing gets crushed on the Tube. Keep risograph prints away from damp, since the ink can smudge in rain. If you collect several pieces, slide them between pages of a sketchbook for protection. These small habits mean your finds still look sharp when you finally pin them to a wall or shelve them at home.

When you finish at one arch or gallery and want to know what is nearby, open Karpo APP and look at suggestions for cafés, bakeries, galleries or bars close to where you are. It is a quick way to see what else is around in a neighbourhood where many spaces sit behind plain doors. Karpo shows you nearby options, and you decide which ones suit your appetite, your timing and the direction you want to wander next.

Bermondsey sits right next to London Bridge, so it is easy to extend the day. Borough Market offers a busy, sensory lunch stop if you can handle crowds. Walking west along the South Bank leads to more galleries and secondhand stalls by the river. Crossing Tower Bridge takes you toward the City and, eventually, the East End. Treat Bermondsey as the creative, small-press half of a longer comics day, then finish at a bigger specialist shop in central London.

Bermondsey is not the place for new weekly issues, big franchise merchandise or a guaranteed haul. On quiet weekdays with no fairs, many maker spaces are closed to visitors and the crawl becomes more about architecture than comics. Families with very young children may find the cobbles and crowded lanes tricky with a pushchair. Check whether any print or zine fair is happening before you commit a whole day, and if nothing is on, consider a gallery-focused visit instead.